Australia v New Zealand World T20 – 5 Talking Points

Serious clouds hovered over the Trans-Tasman clash between Australia and New Zealand at Dharamsala, couple of days prior to the match day. The cricket lovers certainly would like to thank the rain Gods for staying away from the match. Luckily, we had a complete match and a closely contested one.

New Zealand were off to a flying start as Guptill and Williamson put on 61 runs for the first wicket. Guptill, in particular, was harsh on the bowlers and made a quickfire 39. Munro got off to a start too after the fall of skipper Williamson. The part-time spin of Glenn Maxwell fetched a couple of wickets for Australia in the middle overs. Batting looked tough for the Kiwis as no batsmen looked set at the crease. They could manage 142/8 in their 20 overs kudos to some late hitting by Grant Elliot (27).

Riding on Khawaja’s classy hitting, the Australia run chase began smoothly. But fall of three quick wickets, including a run out of Khawaja (37), saw a sudden slump in the run rate. Glenn Maxwell (22) tried his best couldn’t be the finisher. Mitchell Marsh and Ashton Agar hit a few mighty shots to keep the run chase alive. Needing 22 off the last 12 balls, the Aussies lost wickets in a heap and were reduced to 134/9 at the end of 20 overs as New Zealand won by 8 runs.

1. Guptill Blitz

The New Zealand opener Martin Guptill has been in a purple patch since last 18 months. He had a rare failure against India in the opening match of the World Cup, but the right-handed batsman came out all guns blazing against Australia in this match at Dharamsala. Guptill cracked 39 off just 27 balls, hitting 2 boundaries and 4 mammoth sixes. Interestingly, on a wicket where no batsmen looked set, Guptill batted with flair and was spot on with his power hitting. His stay was cut short by James Faulkner as he was caught in the deep by Maxwell off the bowling of Faulkner in the 8^th over. The initial blitz by Guptill ensured Kiwis had a fiery start as the openers put on 61 runs in 43 balls.

2. Maxwell Strikes – Not once but twice

Glenn Maxwell turned out to be the unexpected hero for the Australian team in the bowling department. The Kiwis seemed to be cruising along after a good start by Guptill and Williamson. It was Maxwell who got rid of the Kiwi skipper in his very first over. In the second over that he bowled, he got the key wicket of Corey Anderson. On both occasions, Ashton Agar was the fielder in the deep getting hold of two good high catches. Since then, the Kiwi side could never gain back the initial momentum that the openers had set for them. Well, Glenn Maxwell might be the key for Australia in this World Cup in India where spinners always have a great say.

3. Khawaja’s Sublime form and Running out of Luck

A lot of eyebrows went up when the number one ranked t20 batsman, Aaron Finch, was not picked up in the playing XI by Australia. This was largely due to UsmanKhawaja’s sublime form. Khawaja did not disappoint in the match either. Chasing 143 for the win, Khawaja led the batting attack with class and power. While wickets kept tumbling from the other end, Khawaja raced to 38 off 27 balls in no time. He was unlucky to be run out at a crucial stage in the match. His 38 was studded with 6 beautifully carved boundaries. It was his wicket that suddenly stalled the Aussie run-chase.

4. Spinners derail the opposition – Again

Much like the previous match against India, the Kiwi spinners again proved to be a hiccup for the opposition. The left arm spin of Mitchell Santner fetched him the big wicket of Aussie skipper Steve Smith early in the innings. The wily spinner got rid of dangerous David Warner soon after that. Santner gave away just 15 runs in his first 3 overs, picking two key wickets. Just when Maxwell decided to step on the accelerator, Sodhi got his first wicket as he dismissed Maxwell. Needless to say, the Kiwi spinners are here to make an impact!

5. Kiwi Bowling and The Big Finishers Choke

The Australian batting line up boasted of big hitters and match finishers. The target of 142 didn’t look like a very stiff ask, given the likes of Maxwell, Faulkner, Marsh and Agar in the Australian side. Maxwell found it tough at the crease and couldn’t middle any. Faulkner perished in his attempt to clear the ropes soon after. Mitchell Marsh hit a couple of maximums but was dismissed on 24. Agar hit a six too but that wasn’t enough. All in all, none of the big hitters could take Australia home. Take no credit away from the Kiwi bowlers who bowled with impeccable lines and length. McClenaghan bowled slower deliveries to perfection and ended with figures of 3/17 in his 3 overs. Corey Anderson bowled well under pressure in the death overs too to restrict Australian chase down to 134/9 in 20 overs.